California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo’s Greek Life community is full of social, academically-inclined, and philanthropic students from all walks of life; the young men who make up the fraternity sector of such are no exception to these characteristics. While fraternities can occasionally conjure up a negative connotation, often being seen as party- and alcohol-obsessed, there are far greater aspects to the male side of Greek life that are overlooked. To all who have yet to be enlightened to the several positive qualities attributed to the fraternities at Cal Poly SLO and beyond, grab a plate and get ready to be dished a full-course meal of the fraternities as food.
Alpha Epsilon Pi: Latkes
Self-proclaimed as “The Premier Jewish Fraternity,” it is only fitting that Cal Poly SLO’s Sigma Omega chapter of AEPi is described as the popular Jewish food, Latkes. These potato pancakes are a Hanukkah staple and can be eaten at any meal; in other words, they are pretty much always awesome. The same can be said for the men of AEPi, as they behold high morals and kind hearts. Cal Poly’s Alpha Epsilon Pi members center their philanthropy around children struggling with cancer through their charity event cleverly titled “Cuck Fancer,” while also taking time to plant trees for Cesar Chavez day and actively being against sexual assault. Plus, AEPi is known for their well-executed serenades for several sororities. For these reasons, it would be safe to say that the women of Cal Poly SLO’s Panhellenic sororities and the surrounding SLO community truly like Alpha Epsilon Pi “a Latke.”
Alpha Gamma Rho: BBQ
As Cal Poly SLO’s ag-based fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho automatically lends itself to being likened to a full-blown barbeque. Although being made up of men solely studying agriculture or food centered majors, AGR is just as diverse as the types of food you might find on the grill. Their Chi chapter functions as both a social and professional fraternity, all while accepting men in a range of majors like food science, biotechnology, ag business, or environmental sciences. As for philanthropy, AGR’s biggest event is their annual Alpha Gamma Rhodeo, through which they raise money for local children struggling with cancer. What other than a smoky, barbequed meal would you expect to find at a rodeo? Or better yet, at an Alpha Gamma Rhodeo?
Beta Theta Pi: Bow Tie Pasta
The men of Cal Poly’s Beta Theta Pi chapter are in a brotherhood lineage of several notable figures and men of high class. These famous Betas include a vice president, Supreme Court Justices, Nobel Prize winners, a Nike co-founder, and several big-time CEOs. As Beta Theta Pi is home to such a high number of impressive men, it is deserved that they be compared to bow tie pasta–the most formal of all pastas. Plus, Cal Poly’s Beta chapter runs an annual philanthropy dinner, the Beta Bow Tie dinner. This fine-dining event, ran near Veteran’s Day, raises money for the Fisher House Foundation, an organization that aids families of sick or injured US military veterans with housing. Beholding fame, yet still being philanthropic, all while donning the ever-classy bow tie (pasta) look.
Delta Chi: Smart Cookies
I’ll admit, “Smart Cookies” aren’t a real type of cookie; if they were, though, they would be the exact food to define Delta Chi at Cal Poly SLO. According to Cal Poly’s Interfraternity Council website, Delta Chi rang in the 2017 fall quarter as the house with the highest G.P.A. out of all 16 fraternities on campus. Their average G.P.A. of 3.16 is in the lead by .12 and is an impressive number regardless of comparison. Plus, Delta Chi’s Cal Poly chapter focuses their charity work around fighting against cancer. These smart cookies definitely deserve some cookies (and kudos) for their academic achievement and philanthropic measures!
Delta Upsilon: Peanut Butter
No, the men of Cal Poly’s Delta Upsilon chapter aren’t likened to peanut butter because they’re nutty or smooth (although the latter may up for debate for some!). Rather, the classic nut butter is a true winner in describing this frat, simply because dogs love it, and DU loves dogs. Better yet, they love helping people in need receive service dogs, free of charge. Delta Upsilon, which centers its philanthropy around this cause, has recently began a charity event dubbed “DU Dogfest” to raise money for organizations like Canine Companions for Independence and Guide Dogs for the Blind. As their website states, “anyone who joins DU has the opportunity to leave a legacy that lasts a lifetime,” about the length of time it might take for their chapter’s golden retriever, Oliver, to finish off a jar of peanut butter.
Kappa Sigma: Hamburgers
What’s more American than a classic hamburger and helping raise money for the veteran soldiers that protected our country? The latter is exactly what the men of Kappa Sigma’s Nu-Alpha chapter at Cal Poly SLO accomplish with their philanthropic efforts, most prominently through their newly annual Kappa Sigma Bootcamp event. This event was ran in order to aid the Military Heroes Campaign, founded by Kappa Sigma nationals, which continuously supports U.S. veterans and their families in their everyday lives. After raising over $2,000 in their first go at the event, it’s fair to say these boys earn an all-American burger right off the grill.
Lambda Chi Alpha: Watermelon
Lambda Chi Alpha, commonly referred to as simply Lambda, has every right to be described as one of America’s most beloved fruits, Watermelon. Cal poly’s Phi-Sigma Zeta chapter holds a philanthropy event every quarter; however, their most notable is their Watermelon Bust. By running this event, partnered with Feeding America, Lambda raises enough money to donate extensive amounts of canned food to the organization (a whopping 612 pounds worth in 2014). Plus, the Phi-Sigma Zeta chapter received the Tozier Brown Public Affairs Award from Lambda headquarters in 2015 for being so active in philanthropy and community service. Lambda Chi Alpha’s philanthropic dedication is as sweet and refreshing as a slice of ripe watermelon on a summer’s day.
Nu Alpha Kappa: Enchiladas
As Cal Poly SLO’s Latino-based fraternity, which was founded on this very campus, Nu Alpha Kappa focuses their philanthropic efforts support the Hispanic/Latino community through the National Marrow Donor Program. As they claim, blood and marrow donations are best matched within a patient’s ethnicity or race, and the Hispanic/Latino Stem Cell and Marrow Initiative that NAK aids helps successful transplants become a reality for minority heritages. To raise awareness for this philanthropy, Nu Alpha Kappa runs their annual event, “NAKLand Children’s Carnival,” while hosting a National Bone Marrow Drive Registry. For being a founding chapter of their fraternity, and being remarkably dedicated to their heritage, it is safe to say that Nu Alpha Kappa is the whole enchilada.
Phi Kappa Psi: Fruit Snacks
While fruit snacks are sweet and liked by many, these aren’t the only reasons Cal Poly’s Phi Kappa Psi Cal Eta chapter are like the beloved delicacy of fruit snacks; it’s because the focus of fruit snacks and Phi Kappa Psi alike are on children. Cal Poly’s Phi Psi chapter’s biggest philanthropic event is Sorority Soccer Cup, a soccer tournament that Cal Poly’s sororities compete in, from which all proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Club of South San Luis Obispo. That is definitely something sweet to snack on!
Phi Sigma Kappa: Gyros
While all of the fraternities at Cal Poly SLO are part of Greek Life on campus, only Phi Sigma Kappa’s Eta Septaton chapter can behold the food-title of the classic Greek gyro. Through their charity events such as Phi Sig Olympics and Phi Sig Luau, these men raise money for those with intellectual disabilities who get to compete in the Special Olympics; and there’s nothing more Greek than the Olympics. The men of Cal Poly’s Phi Sigma Kappa even reigned in as part of a winning team with fellow fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon and the sorority Chi Omega during Cal Poly’s Greek Week, showing off their Olympic-worthy athletic prowess. Maybe they deserve a whole Mediterranean feast!
Pi Kappa Phi: Pumpkin Spice Latte
The men of Pi Kappa Phi must know how to draw in the ladies, because they offered free PSLs at their Pi Kapp Pumpkin Patch event this past fall quarter. However, this clever marketing ploy had good intentions behind it; Cal Poly SLO’s Pi Kappa Phi ran their pumpkin carving event in order to raise money for The Ability Experience, an organization with direct ties to Pi Kappa Phi that exists solely to give back to and serve those with disabilities. The philanthropic efforts the men of Pi Kapp put in proves that they are just as sweet and warm(hearted) as a Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Sigma Nu: Roasted Duck
A bit more intense than the other foods, I’ve decided to label Cal Poly SLO’s Sigma Nu fraternity as roasted duck. Just as intense, however, is their Ducky Derby philanthropy event that lead to this frat-to-food connection; raising $9,000 in 2017 for Jack’s Helping Hand through a rubber-duck race on a creek is no simple feat! Nonetheless, the Kappa Pi chapter of Sig Nu pulled it off for the local San Luis Obispo non-profit organization, which centers its efforts on aiding children with cancer and special needs. Sig Nu deserves a big “DUCK yeah!” for their charitable work for the local SLO community.
Sigma Pi: Pie
It’s all in the name… and the notable efforts Cal Poly SLO’s Sigma Pi has put in to raise money for and awareness of mental health. Through one of their events, “Pie-A-Pi,” in which students could pay to throw a Pi at various members’ faces, the Eta Delta chapter raised money for the Amazing Day Foundation. This organization, which states that “the number two killer of college age students is suicide,” works to reduce the stigmas related to emotional disorders, increase awareness of such, and to better health services on college campuses. The men of Sigma Pi are sweet as pie for supporting such a close-to-campus cause.
Theta Chi: Apple Pie
Although the aforementioned fraternity is likened to pies, Theta Chi attests to a more specific, patriotic type: apple pie. The Zeta Phi chapter of Theta Chi puts its main philanthropic efforts into raising money for United Service Organizations, which aids men and women in the United States military by connecting them to their family and home. In their recent event “GI Theta Chi,” the men of Theta Chi “partnered up with USO & A Million Thanks to raise money and write letters for our amazing service members,” as stated on their Instagram. These all-American charity efforts go hand-in-hand with the all-American apple pie!
Tau Kappa Epsilon: PB&J Sandwich
Tau Kappa Epsilon’s national philanthropy is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where the treatment and health of kids is the main focus. Along the theme of children usually comes the classic childhood lunch staple, a PB&J sandwich. Through Cal Poly SLO’s TKE chapter’s whopping $128,000 raised in just one academic year alone (a record amongst the other fraternities and sororities), it is clear that the members hope to help the children at St. Jude to one day worry about the ratio of peanut butter to jelly on their sandwich, rather than their illness. As one way to raise money for this cause, TKE’s Rho Omicron chapter runs their main annual philanthropy event “TKE PowderPuff Football Tournament,” in which women of Cal Poly Panhellenic sororities (and some UCSB sororities!) compete for the win; a PB&J sandwich might be the best mid-tourney fuel!
Zeta Beta Tau: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Almost everyone loves the classic spaghetti and meatball dinner, just about as much as San Luis Obispo loves ZBT’s Eta Mu chapter’s annual philanthropy event “Get On The Ball.” While you might be wishing this consisted of a massive meatball being rolled around on campus, it is actually a bit more meaningful. The men of ZBT roll a large beach ball through Cal Poly SLO’s campus and in downtown San Luis Obispo, gaining signatures from passersby that warrant donations from local businesses. All of the money raised goes towards the heartfelt organization Team Mateo, which was created by the family of a young boy struggling with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Spaghetti and meatballs might be soul food, Cal Poly’s ZBT’s charity work will fill your soul as well.